New home demand falls as buyers wait for clarity on Brexit October 9, 2019 The demand for new homes has slumped to a six-year low as consumers delay buying property until a Brexit plan becomes clear. New research shows that consumer demand for new homes has fallen eight per cent over the last year. Read more: Housebuilder stocks facing a Brexit wrecking ball? Small house building firms said current [...]
European private equity buyouts climb to 12-year high October 9, 2019 Private equity buyout investment in European companies grew significantly during the third quarter, with UK buyouts jumping almost 70 per cent. The total volume of buyouts across Europe reached a 12-year high during the period with 296 deals, according to research released today by Unquote Data. Total deal value increased 28 per cent on the [...]
US stocks open lower as fears of trade war escalation knocks confidence October 8, 2019 US stocks tumbled after the opening bell today as investor anxiety mounted ahead of crunch trade talks between Washington and Beijing. Optimism among traders was knocked this afternoon after the US blacklisted almost 30 Chinese groups from buying US-made goods. Read more: Sterling tumbles as Brexit deal hopes ‘snuffed out’ The tech-focused Nasqad index dipped [...]
New IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva says trade wars to cost global economy $700bn October 8, 2019 The new boss of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has used her first speech in the role to warn that trade wars, Brexit, and political tensions will push global growth to its lowest rate in a decade. Read more: World Bank’s Kristalina Georgieva unopposed for IMF top job Kristalina Georgieva, the 66-year old Bulgarian economist, [...]
Sterling tumbles as Brexit deal hopes ‘snuffed out’ October 8, 2019 Sterling has fallen to a one-month low against the euro after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a Brexit deal without Northern Ireland staying in the customs union is “overwhelmingly unlikely”. Read more: Brexit deal ‘overwhelmingly unlikely’, Angela Merkel tells PM The pound had shed 0.76 per cent of its value by 1.50pm to stand at [...]
No-deal Brexit would have ‘significant impact’ on UK and EU economies, warns Allianz GI chief October 8, 2019 The UK leaving the European Union without a deal would have a “significant impact” on the economies of both, said head of Allianz Global Investors (AGI) Andreas Utermann. Utermann said a hard Brexit is possible “because the players involved in the discussion seem to be – at least in terms of how they are talking [...]
Donald Tusk slams Johnson over ‘stupid blame game’ October 8, 2019 The European Council president Donald Tusk has hit out at Boris Johnson for trying to win “some stupid blame game” after two antagonistic anonymous briefings up-ended Brexit talks. Last night a senior Downing Street source told The Spectator that any countries blocking the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 October would “go to the [...]
Brexit: Government’s latest no-deal planning revealed October 8, 2019 Michael Gove has revealed his latest set of plans for no-deal Brexit planning, just minutes after Downing Street appeared to admit talks had collapsed. The latest report, which government had promised to publish regularly in the run-up to Hallowe’en, sets out plans for a “significant increase” in the number of customs agents at the borders [...]
Recruiter Robert Walters would prefer a no-deal Brexit to more uncertainty as profits sink October 8, 2019 Recruiter Robert Walters’ blamed a “cocktail of confusion” for a profit warning today, as UK revenues dropped 11 per cent on the back of Brexit uncertainty and a darkening global economic outlook. However, chief executive Robert Walters insisted the UK economy is not yet in the doldrums, and said a no-deal Brexit would be better [...]
Retailers brace for tough Christmas trading as confidence slumps October 8, 2019 Retailers are bracing themselves for a challenging Christmas trading period as consumer confidence this autumn slumped to a five-year low. Only 21 per cent of shoppers think they will have more disposable income in the coming year, while 28 per cent expect their amount of extra cash to decrease, marking the lowest autumn sentiment levels [...]